Daily Focus, May 20, 2020

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 13:1 – 14:31 (“And the king said to the man of the Lord, ‘Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.’ And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before.”)

This Week’s Memory Verse: “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.” Titus 3:14

Scroll down this page for a list of prayer requests.

Study God’s Word with us this evening. There will be no public gathering at our building, but Bible lessons will be delivered online. Watch for an email this afternoon with all the details and links. Nurture your soul and be strengthened by fellowship with other Christians.

More Masks Available: On Tuesday Pat Jones delivered more masks to our office that she had made, and they are now available for any of our members or regular attenders to pick up. We will also have masks available at our in-person worship services to give to anyone who arrives without one.

Have You Taken The Survey? To help us prepare for reopening our building to worship, we want to hear your input. If you’ve not yet taken the brief survey, click here and help us out.

Heartfelt Thanks:Cesar Kilkan was baptized into Christ on February 21 of this year at the prison in Mountain City. He recently wrote: “I want to thank you for letting me get the blessing of the members of Central Church of Christ … I feel so honored to be part of this because of that, now I know that I’m in the right path. … Thanks for let my thanks get to everybody.” Though Cesar’s English is limited, his heart is committed to the Lord. He has since been transferred to another facility. Keep him and other incarcerated brothers in Christ in your prayers.

Let Someone Know You’re Thinking Of Them today. By means of phone calls, emails, or handwritten notes, show others that they have not been forgotten.

Remember These In Prayer:

Karen Stevens is scheduled to undergo a radiation treatment this afternoon, a measure designed to give her relief from excruciating back pain. She asks that we pray for God’s help to make this effective.

Shelton Williams was having difficulty Monday evening after giving birth to a daughter, Bodhi; Bodhi also was having stressful breathing and was taken to NICU. We have not had an update on how things are going, so please continue to pray for them both. Shelton is the daughter of Angie and Trey Williams, and the granddaughter of Jan and Sherrell Shepard.

John McKinnis came through his outpatient cataract surgery on Tuesday, and all went well, Brenda reported.

Georgie Roten is scheduled to also undergo outpatient cataract surgery tomorrow. This surgery will address her only good eye, so prayers for all to go well are needed.

June Selby is scheduled to be discharged today from the Skilled Nursing Unit of Cornerstone Village. She will return to her home and her husband, and will continue with home therapy for a time.

Will Terry, 8-year-old son of former Central member Adam Terry and his wife Catherine, remains in PICU at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. An MRI on Tuesday found that no new damage has occurred, and his brain is repositioned as it should be. He is now being weaned off several medications, and all indications are good. The family asks that we keep fervent prayers going for his healing.

The family of Natalie Church is mourning her passing on Tuesday in Nashville at the age of 41. Natalie was a member of the Hillsboro Church of Christ, and was found unresponsive on Sunday morning after going into cardiac arrest; she had had no previous heart issues, we understand. She leaves behind a husband and two children, one of whom has cystic fibrosis. Pray for God’s comfort to be upon this family and all of the friends.

Murphy Elliott, wife of Steven Elliott, has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Plans for treatment are being discussed. Steven, who is a grandson of Sandy and Charles Elliott, is a police officer in Cabot, Arkansas, and he and Murphy have a 9-months-old child. Sandy and Charles ask that we include this family in our prayers.

Judy Foster, mother-in-law to Alison Gilliam’s sister, has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and is now on a ventilator. Judy, who has been wheelchair bound for several years, was moved to a nursing home in Russellville, Alabama last winter, and now 37 of the 75 residents there have tested positive. Alison asks that we pray for Judy and for all of those in that nursing home.

Larry King, husband of Linda Pierce’s sister Jean, has learned that his cancer is at stage 3, the highest level for this particular cancer. Treatment is available, but Larry’s pain is such that he’s resisting the proposal. He wants to be able to see the birth of his great-granddaughter, due in August. Prayers are requested for the Lord’s help and guidance.

Paula and Joe Tackett, who worship with the Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge, have both been sick with the COVID-19 virus for several days. Joe is now on a ventilator, and on Monday we learned that he has developed MRSA. Prayers have been requested for both of them.

The family of Larry Lloyd is mourning his passing on Saturday after a long struggle with cancer. Larry was a former elder in Bartow, Florida and had been a good friend of June and Fred Selby.

Perseverance: * “By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.” (Christopher Columbus) * “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)